Savina Monastery

Savina stands on a terrace above the sea at the eastern edge of Herceg Novi, a monastery whose oldest church dates from the fourteenth or fifteenth century, with a larger Baroque church built beside it in 1777-1799 by the master builder Nikola Foretić from Korčula. Its treasury holds one of the richer collections of manuscripts, icons and church silver in the region, including a fourteenth-century Gospel and a crystal cross said to have belonged to Saint Sava.

History

The Small Church of the Dormition is traditionally dated to 1030 by an inscription added in 1831, though its style points to the 15th century, and its oldest frescoes are believed to be of the mid-15th century. The Great Church was built between 1777 and 1799 by the master builder Nikola Foretić of Korčula, with an iconostasis made in 1795 by Simeon Lazović and his son Aleksije, and it was paid for by donations from local people (Wikipedia, Savina Monastery (Montenegro)).

What's there

• The Great Church - the Baroque church of 1777-1799 by Nikola Foretić of Korčula.
• The Small Church - the older church with fragments of medieval fresco.
• The treasury - manuscripts, icons and silver including a fourteenth-century Gospel.
• The terraced gardens - the cypress and olive terraces above the sea.

When to go

Year round; it is open in daylight outside services. Mornings are quietest. The treasury has restricted hours and may need asking.

Things to know

The treasury is not always open and access can depend on a monk being available. Dress rules are enforced. Photography inside the churches is restricted.

Nearby

Herceg Novi is west, and Risan is east.

Key facts